Reaping Scene in Peeta's POV
by GlambertXD
Summary: Reaping Scene in Peeta's P.O.V


The Hunger Games: Peeta's point of view the reaping scene

Everything is quiet when I walk into the square. Once a place for sending mail is now crowed with the whole population of District Twelve ready to face their fates. It's funny how fast your world can change in the blink of an eye. I walk in with my two brothers and quickly lose them in the crowd; we have to stand by our age group so I assemble to the middle, where the sixteen-year-old boys are. I observe at the people around me, studying their faces. This might be the last time I ever see them. I turn around to see Gale Hawthorne. His brown seam eyes are staring at Katniss, they both smile and look back at the ground. My heart immediately sinks. I can tell by their faces that they are thinking of how broken they will be if they lose each other. Gale and Katniss are best friends and are pretty much going out. I always see them head for the woods to hunt. Katniss doesn't look at anyone like the way she looks at Gale. I will always hate him for that.

"Happy Hunger Games and may the odds be ever is your favor!" says Effie over the loudspeaker. Suddenly this brings me back to reality and I am looking up at Effie, our capitol citizen that comes to District Twelve every annual Hunger Games. She is standing on the concrete platform in the front of the square. She is wearing a completely ridiculous outfit complete with a pink wig. They play a video that they show every year from President Snow telling us the history of the games. It all started in the Dark Days when District Thirteen rebelled. They sadly lost and as a result got blown to bits. To remind us that the Capitol has control on everything we do, they host an event every year called the Hunger Games. It is a fight to the death with two tributes, one boy and one girl, from each District. In total there are twenty-four tributes and the last one standing is the winner. Everyone is forced to watch.

"The time has come to select the tributes to have the honor to represent us in the 74th annual Hunger Games!" Effie calls out. She thinks it's such a joyous occasion when everyone is worried about surviving another day. Being drawn from District 12 is a suicide attempt. In all of 74 years we have only had two winners and only one is still alive. His name is Haymitch and is currently slumping in a chair on the stage, completely drunk.

"Ladies first!" shouts Effie. This casts a wave of silence over everyone. Worry strikes and we all remain emotionless. I look over at Katniss one more time. Even in a time of misery she still glows with beauty. Her brown eyes search every which way as Effie puts her hands in the bowl full of names. The same brown eyes that looked at me with sorrow when she was about to die and the same ones that stared at me with hope in the Spring. She probably has 20 slips of paper in that jar. The odds are not in her favor. Not Katniss. Not Katniss _Please not her_.

And it's not her.

It's Primrose Everdeen.

It takes a few seconds to fully process what has just happened. _Everdeen _I repeat in my head. _Everdeen. _But then it hits me.

Primrose Everdeen is Katniss' sister. I am speechless for a second and my eyes wander around trying to make sense of it all. I am startled by the shout of Katniss through the crowd as she calls out for her sister.

"I VOLUNTEER!" she screams, "I volunteer as tribute!" Everyone is registered in shock. I hear Prim scream out from behind Katniss as Gale takes her away. People don't volunteer in District Twelve and even Effie seems pretty confused.

"That's great! But I think we have to ask for volunteers after-"

"What does it matter?" the mayor mumbles. "Just bring her up here." Effie then escorts Katniss to the stage.

"Let's all give a round of applause for our girl tribute Katniss Everdeen!" Effie calls out. But no one claps, not even one single person. This is just all wrong. I am broken to see her like this. Up on stage not staring at anything in particular but in deep thought, registering what has just happened. I would volunteer for her but a boy cannot volunteer for a girl. I cannot take my eyes off her, this will be the last time I see Katniss Everdeen. I should have fought for her, I was too shy to talk to her and now I have to see her death played out on live television. I place my thumb and pinky finger together, extending my three middle fingers and raise it above my head. It means thanks, it means admiration, it _means good-bye to the ones you love. _

Soon people join and it sets off like wild fire

"We'll wasn't that exciting! Let's choose our male tribute now!" I was too worried about Katniss that I barely had time to think before Effie calls out my name.

I am thrust upon stage next to Katniss. I am the Male Tribute. I have just been picked for the Hunger Games. Shock takes over my body and completely strangles it. I am having trouble breathing when I start thinking. It will be very hard to win with all the careers. How will my family take this? Will they even care? How will the bakery do without me? Flashes of questions run through my mind. In a way it's kind of what I asked for, one last chance to talk to Katniss.

"Here are our tributes Peeta Mellark and Katniss Everdeen!" Katniss stares into my eyes with sorrow and I can't help but think about when she was on death's door, sulking under the oak tree. I want to help her, I want to save her just like I did that day by giving her the bread but I am powerless against the reaping. I take a good look at District Twelve before we are forced away. This will be the last time I will ever see my home because I will do what ever it takes to get Katniss out of the arena safe. I will save her just like the day with the bread. Katniss will live, even if it means taking my own life.


End file.
